"That was a lot of fun, huh, Pikachu?" Ash asked.
Pikachu twitched his ears. "You bet, Ash!"
"Kind of wish my hat hadn't got so wrecked, though," Ash added, looking at the hat in question. It was muddy, stained, and generally in bad shape.
It was probably one that could be repaired or cleaned, at least with Mimey's help, but for now there was no way Ash could wear it.
And Pikachu had to admit, Ash wasn't Ash without his hat.
"Well, that's fine!" Ash went on, rummaging around in his bag. "Let's see, uh… no, that's not right… I don't think I've seen that since last time I went to Alola… aha!"
Extracting something from the bottom of the bag, Ash dusted it off. "Never leave home without a spare hat!"
"How many times have you left home without a spare hat?" Pikachu asked, sniggering.
Like usual, his trainer didn't quite understand but he got the gist. "Hey!"
Sniggering himself, Ash gave the Pokémon League Expo hat a quick tweak to make sure it was properly open, then put it on. "Feels like old times, huh, Pikachu? This hat's been through a lot with us!"
"Wait, what!?"
It wasn't Pikachu who'd spoken.
The Latias they'd saved before shimmered into visibility, pointing and staring.
"You really are the same Ash!?" she demanded. "But – I didn't think-"
"The same Ash?" Pikachu repeated. "Are you from Altomare?"
"Yes!" Latias agreed. "And you two helped – but – I didn't even realize! What a coincidence!"
"Didn't you kiss Ash?" Pikachu asked, and Latias blushed slightly. "Hold on. Did you not recognize him because he was wearing a different hat?"
"What's going on, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Why is she blushing?"
"Okay, you two are clearly meant for one another," Pikachu decided, throwing up his paws. "You're both morons."
AN:
The first of a number of pieces inspired by the Latias in Mezase Pokémon Master/Aim to Be a Pokémon Master, this time with the assumption that she is the Altomare Latias.